"Your lordship's bath," said the servant, "will be prepared. I shall return and tell your lordship when it is ready. In about ten minutes if that is convenient to your lordship."
The voice was unfamiliar. Jimmy opened his eyes sufficiently to recognise that the servant who was leaving the room was not his own man. He saw at the same time that he was in an unfamiliar room. The recollection of the adventures of the day before came to him and he knew that he had slept in his uncle's house. He poured out his tea and as he drank it composed a biting and insulting telegram to be sent, regardless of expense, to the makers of the Pallas Athene sports model car. He lit a cigarette to stimulate the workings of his brain.
The servant came into the room again, as he promised, in ten minutes. Jimmy recognised Hinton.
"Hallo!" he said. "How do you come to be here?"
"Your lordship will recollect that I ventured to suggest last night that it might be convenient if I were to wait upon your lordship."
"Of course. Yes. Now you mention it, I remember. You said you'd come in to help Uncle Evie's butler in case the poor fellow felt overworked. Uncommonly kind of you to do it, Hinton, and I'm sure we're all greatly obliged to you. You were to have got tooth-brushes and things for the two young ladies. I hope you did."
"I left that matter in Mr. Linker's hands, my lord, with every confidence that satisfaction would be given. Mr. Linker's establishment is not actually first class. That could hardly be expected in Morriton St. James, but I think everything required will be provided. The young person of whom I spoke to you last night——"
He went on to say at some length, that the head of the dressmaking department in Mr. Linker's shop had consented to return, temporarily, to her original trade, and was at that moment acting as lady's maid to Beth and Mary. Jimmy suspected that neither of the girls was accustomed to such ministrations, but had no doubt they would enjoy them. Mr. Linker, it appeared, had been quite willing to give his dressmaker a holiday; such was his respect for Sir Evelyn and his desire to be obliging. Hinton said nothing about the feelings of Mr. Linker's customers, the young ladies of Morriton St. James, several of whom were waiting impatiently, even clamorously, for new dresses.
"It's uncommonly civil of your friend Linker," said Jimmy. "You might thank him from me, will you?"
"I have reason to believe, my lord, that Mr. Linker proposes to call on you himself this morning."